Object ejection device



May 29, 1962 P. G. CRISAFULLI 3 OBJECT EJECTION DEVICE Filed April 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n 9 FIG. 3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. Peter G- Crisofulli ATTORNEY P. G. CRISAFULLI OBJECT EJECTION DEVICE May 29, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1961 5 m F. 9 Jr l 8 f B W [L \hm m 1% B FIG. 7

FIG. 8

INVENTOR. Peter G. Crisufulli 55 64 4,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofihce 3,835,734 Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,734 OBJECT EJECTION DEVICE Peter G. Crisafnlli, 1438 Frances Lane, Plain'field, NJ. Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,848 2 Claims. (tCl. 221-238) This invention relates to a device for ejection, from a machine for example, of an object, such as a pack of cigarettes, or the like. More specifically, it deals with a plunger-actuated forwardly-ejecting device of -a compact and simple nature.

The present device is useful in ejecting machine parts, spools, and the like, but for the sake of simplicity, the use of the device in cigarette vending machines will be taken as an example. At the present time, hand-acuated cigarette pack dispensing machines employ an ejector block for the ejection of the pack after the proper number of coins are inserted in the machine to make it open and ready for ejection. Such a block first must be slid the entire length of the pack forwardly. Then, it is used to slide the pack rearwardly for over a full pack length. Furthermore, there must be sufficient free room in the rear into which the pack is dropped for return of the pack to the forward or delivery portion of the machine. This means, that, for an average pack of cigarettes, there is required at least a 12" ejection travel height and a 12" ejection depth.

According to the present invention, an ejection device is developed which requires only about a 4 travel height and about a 6" depth under comparable conditions. With such a device, it is possible to reduce delivery space size to about one-half, or to increase machine capacity to about twice that of conventional machines. The conventional machines now employed, which do not use an ejection block, require use of a manually-operated plunger which actuates a delivery carriage for effecting the delivery of the pack. Room thus must be made available for housing this delivery carriage. On the other hand, in the device of the present invention, considerable saving in space is effected by eliminating such -a delivery carriage, since the plunger serves the entire ejection purpose.

Also, in motor-actuated dispensing machines, the pressbutton actuates a solenoid operated hook which engages the bottom pack in the magazine and, thereafter, a motor is actuated which pushes the hook and pack out into the delivery zone. The present invention eliminates such complicated paraphernalia and its concomitant assembly and maintenance problems connected therewith.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment, used in cigarette pack dispensing, is described, and in which FIGURE 1 illustrates a front elevation thereof. A side elevation is depicted in FIGURE 2, while FIGURE 3 presents a top or plan view of the machine in closed or idle position. FIGURE 4 is similar to FIGURE 3 except that it depicts the machine in position immediately after ejection of the pack. FIGURES 58 are schematic side views of the essential features of the machine as they appear during the different phases of the ejecting operation. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 1 represents the table or platform from which ejection is begun. This table has back support 2. Ramp or ejection chute 3 is attached to the back at 4, and front panel 5 is connected to chute 3 by supports 6 and 7. It also serves as a bearing panel for plunger 8 which is provided with push knob 9.

Table 1 has a centrally-disposed opening 10 connecting with a slot 11 in which rides a vertically-directed plate serving as a pusher 12 at its top, and as a stop, or holding or restraining means 13 at its bottom. This plate 12--13 is connected near its upper portion to the end of plunger 8. Plunger 8 is spring-loaded to return automatically after it is pushed in for the required distance. One way of spring-loading the plunger is by use of the helical spring 14 (FIG. 3), although other conventional methods may be employed.

Mounted forwardly over most of the opening 10 in table 1 is hollow magazine 15, the top of which is open. It has sides 22 and 23 and back 24. The front portion of magazine 15 also is open except for retaining lips 16 and 17 which serve to hold laterally the cigarette packs 18 and 18 in the magazine so that, after they are loaded from the top, they do not slide out forwardly out of magazine 15. Part of table 1 is disposed under the forward portion of magazine 15 as strips 1a and 1b serving as a platform for holding the front end 18b of pack 18 and, between which is located centrally-disposed slot 11.

Designed to slide on table 1 and under magazine 15 is horizontal push plate 19 which is connected by means of horizontal lips or guides 20 to bar 21 which, in turn, is connected to vertical push-stop plate 12. Bar 21 rides in an undercut 30 under the forward portions of sides 22 and 23 of magazine 15. Plate 19 rides partially under back 24 and in an undercut 31 under the rearward portions of sides 22 and 23 and also serves as a support for rear end 18a of pack 18. 7

Horizontal ledge or shelf 29 is attached under table 1 by means of support 25, immediately adjacent the rear edge 10' of opening 10, in a manner so that ledge 29 projects under the opening 10. Horizontal platform 26 is attached under ledge 29 to back 2 and it projects forwardly therefrom to a point 27 past ledge 29 where it connects with flat discharge chute 3. v The operation of the machine may be followed schematically in FIGURES S-8. Assuming that two cigarette packs 18 (lower) and 18' (upper) are present in magazine 15, it can be seen that they would rest on horizontal plate 19 over opening Ill and on table platform strips 1a and 1b under magazine 15. When button 9 of plunger 8 is pushed rearwardly, plate 19 (which is connected to plunger 8) is pushed from under the rear of pack 18, whereupon the rear end 18a of pack 18 drops onto ledge 29. Thereafter, as plunger 8 is continued to be pushed rearwardly, push plate 12' (which also is connected to plate 19) engages pack 18 and pushes it off platform edge 10" in opening 10 of table 1, so that front end 18b of pack 18 drops onto discharge chute 3. However, pack 18 is not permitted to fall any farther on chute 3 due to its being held by stop 13 (also connected to plate 12). When plunger 12 is released, spring 14 pulls the plunger back sharply, which action simultaneously pulls back stop 13 and thus permits pack 18 to be ejected through chute 3 by plate 19.

It will be noted that the dropping of rear end 18a of lower pack 18, as in FIGURE 6, enables push plate 12 to be disposed under end 18'a of upper pack 18', as in FIG- URE 7. Then, as pack 18 is being discharged onto chute 3 as in FIGURES 2 and 7, it serves as a support for pack 18' until plate 19 is pulled back thereunder.

I claim:

1. An object ejection device of the class described comprising a flat table, a magazine mounted on said table and designed for storing an object, means forming an opening in the table partially under the magazine and beyond the rear thereof in a manner so as to leave intact a portion of the table under the forward end of the magazine and thus serve as a platform to partially support the forward end of a stored object, a flat ledge mounted uder said table and projecting horizontally and forwardly from under a portion of the rear edge of and under said opening, a chute mounted under said ledge and projecting forwardly ahead of said ledge, a horizontal plate mounted on said table and designed to slide over said opening over said ledge and under and completely past the rear portion of the magazine in a manner to serve as a temporary partial support for the rear end of a stored object, a centrally-disposed slot in said platform extending from the edge thereof to ahead of the front of the magazine, a narrow vertical plate designed to ride in said slot and projecting a short distance above said table to serve as an object-pushing means, and below said table to serve as an object-holding means, rigid connecting means on each side of the magazine serving to connect said horizontal plate with said vertical plate, and a horizontal forwardly-directed plunger connected to said vertical plate, said vertical plate, ledge and chute being positioned with respect to said opening, horizontal plate, and object stored, and each other so that when the plunger is pushed, the horizontal plate is pushed first from under the rear end of an object, causing the rear end of an object to drop onto said ledge and, upon further pushing of said plunger to the end of its stroke, thevertical plate serves as a pushing means to push a lowermost stored object rearwardly, causing the front end of an object to drop onto said chute while, simultaneously, the said holding portion of the vertical plate serves as a holding means to restrain an object from sliding off the ledge down the chute, and, upon the return stroke of the plunger, said horizontal plate serves as a pushing means to push an object down said chute as the vertical plate is retracted.

2. An object ejection device of the class described comprising a flat table, a magazine mounted on said table and designed for storing an object, means forming an opening in the table partially under the magazine and beyond the rear thereof in a manner so as to leave intact a portion of the table under the forward end of the magazine and thus serve as a platform to partially support the forward end of a stored object, a flat ledge mounted under said table and projecting horizontally and forwardly from under a portion of the rear edge of and under said opening, a chute mounted under said ledge and projecting forwardly ahead of said ledge, a horizontal plate mounted on said table and designed to slide over said opening over said ledge and under and completely past the rear portion of the magazine in a manner to serve as a temporary partial support for the rear end of a stored object, a centrally-disposed slot in said platform extending from the edge thereof to ahead of the front of the magazine, a narrow vertical plate designed to ride in said slot and projecting a short distance above said table to serve as an objectpushing means, and below said table to serve as an object-stopping means, raised rigid connecting means designed to ride on each side of the magazine to serve as plate-guiding means and to connect said horizontal plate with said vertical plate, and a horizontal forwardly-directed plunger connected to said vertical plate, said vertical plate, ledge and chute being positioned with respect to said opening, horizontal plate, and object stored and each other so that when the plunger is pushed, the horizontal plate is pushed first from under the rear end of an object, causing the rear end of an object to drop onto said ledge and, upon further pushing of said plunger to the end of its stroke, the vertical plate serves as a pushing means to push a lowermost stored object rear- Wardly, causing the front end of an object to drop onto said chute, While, simultaneously, the said holding portion of the vertical plate serves as a holding means to restrain an object from sliding off the ledge down the chute, and, upon the rturn stroke of the plunger, said horizontal plate serves as a pushing means to push an object down said chute as the vertical plate is retracted,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,298 Macke June '24, 1930 

